1787. infants are often terribly excoriated, nay, I have frequently feen
Au^u boys of fix or feven years old, whofe pofteriors have born evident
marks of this negledtin their infancy.
. Ornaments -feeni to differ in particular places more than drefs;
for inftance— the aperture, or feCond mouth, a little above the
chin, feems confined to the men of Cook’s River and Prince
William’s Sound; whilft the wooden ornament in the under lip
is wore by the women only, in that part of the coaft from Port
Mulgrave to Queen Charlotte’s Iflands,
Beads are held in much greater eftimation in the harbours firft
mentioned than airy where :elfe within our obfervation. Thefe ornaments
were undoUbtely introduced, here by the Ruffians, who
have conftantly traded with thefe people for many years paft, and
beads have been generally ufed in barter, fo that if we make this
a rule for judging how far the Ruffians have had a direfl inter-
courfe oil the coaft, ;it will appear that they have not been to the
Eaftward of Cape Hinchinbrook ■: and I think this conjecture far
from improbable.
There is at leaft two or three different languages fpoken on the
coaft, and yet probably they are all pretty generally underftood;
though if we may credit the old Chief at Queen Charlotte’s Iflands,
his people were totally ignorant of that fpoke by the inhabitants
to the Eaft ward', and which we judged to be the continent: they •
all appear uncouth and difficult! to pronounce; yet though they
abound in conlbnants, the words have rather a labial and dental,
than a guttural pronunciation : however, I ffiall fubjoin the numerals
ufed by the natives of Prince William’s Sound, Norfolk
Sound, and King George’s Sound, which will give thee a better
idea
idea of thefe different languages than any defeription of mine can ^ 7^
poffibly do; at the fame time let me obferve, that thofe ufed at ,—
King George’s Sound were furniftied me by a friend whom I met
with on board the Prince of Wales, otherwife. thou mighteft
wonder at my prefumption in fending thee the language of a place
I never faw.
Prince William’s Sound
One Afthlenach
Two. Malchnach
Three Pinglulin
Four Staachman
Five Talchman
Six Inglulin
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Tlaafch
Taafch
Noofch
Tackoon
Keichin
Ctletufchuffi
Takatufchufti
Noofchatufchufti
Koofchuffi
Chincart.
King George's Sound».
Sorwock
Athlac
Catfa
Moo
Soutcha
Noftpoo
Athlapoo
Athlaquell
Sarvacquell
Highhoo.
I could not
(be afeertained.
Coolin.
Thefe numerals are fpelt as near the mode of pronunciation as
I poffibly can, and yet it is not in my power to fpeak them any
thing like the natives. In regard to pronunciation, the inhabitants
of Cook’s River are the moft perfect I ever met with or
heard o f; they will repeat the moft difficult Englifh words with
great eafe, and particularly thofe that begin or end with th , though
Europeans in general are unable to do it.
I have already given thee fome defeription of the canoes in
general, and I ffiall juft add, that the Email ones in Cook’s River
about eighteen or nineteen feet long, and curved at each end,
H h fome
I j
are